Feeling Jamesâ€™ question, zip turned to him with a smile. From the curiosity on his face, and their topic, she knew what it must have been. Not hearing Joeâ€™s answer, she provide one as well. Pitting it to words made her realize that maybe, she didnâ€™t really know what it was about. She could learn from seeing, yes, but there was a good chance she was wrong.

She was going to make that clear though, so it was ok.

â€œI think itâ€™s when they celebrate surviving birth, and welcome the opportunity to live another year with others.â€

zip didnâ€™t know what the desserts symboled, other than that they tasted good and added to the celebration, but having something sweet was always welcomed. Finishing up her orange, she was filled with happiness to be able to do this with them.

James paused after listening to Joe. What did it mean to celebrate one's birthday? It held no pull on him, and he felt like it was a meaningless thing. After all, his birth was simply an inauguration to a life of wilderness and survival. The only time that really mattered to him was when he met zip.

She spoke to him, and responded to his question as he thought this. He didn't realize it at first, but somehow he had communicated with zip.

She can hear me?! he asked Joe, not realizing the question would reach zipcat as well.

James turned about to look at zip now, his head cocked to the side. He wanted to know why he was suddenly able to communicate with zipcat as well as Joe, and the concept of a birthday had been swept completely from the wolf's mind.

"You can hear him?" He looked at zipcat as well. "You must have a stronger connection to magic than I thought. Unless it is you." he said, turning back to the wolf. "It took me nearly a year of practice, learning from the shamans of America to understand this technique. But you two seem to have picked it up somehow by accident."

The barmaid came back with an apple and cheddar pie, and a chocolate cake, but Joe scarcely noticed, he was more interested in the sudden display of magic now. "zip, have you always been able to do this?"

A brush of curiosity and surprise came from James; a murmur in her mind that he had a question, just as before. Shaking her head to Joe sheâ€™d grasp the air as if holding a medium ball, rolling it to show it to him. There wasnâ€™t anything there but air, but she had to show him what she meant as she explained, â€œCanâ€™t you feel it?â€

zip blushed when he asked if she could always do this. The thought she had picked something up on accident was embracing. After all, she had to take lessons just to understand how to use the magic she already knew in an offensive manor. Growing a tree to harvest its fruit was persuading it, she had learned, and to fight you had to manipulate the earth. Otherwise the response wasnâ€™t fast enough.

Still though, people had talked to her in her mind before. She had always given them credit for that. Remembering the mumbled whisper in her mind moments ago, the blush faded. â€œIâ€™m not sure if I heard anything, Joe.â€

Maybe it was something James and her had done together. It was spooky to hear people talk to her that way before, but with James, it was more than welcome. They understood each other, so it wasn't necessary, but it felt like another bond may have formed from their friendship.

James looked cautiously at zip, wondering if something had been done to her. The thought was shaken from his mind, realizing that he was the one who could initiate mental links with Joe after Joe had done it to him the first time. Perhaps his own mind was changing and growing in ways he had never thought possible. It was true that he was becoming more wise in the world of men, and his knowledge of survival and adaptability did gift him the skill of quick learning.

Regardless of how he had managed, though, James stopped really caring. He and zip were great friends, as was Joe, and as such this was simply a new tool for them to grow closer together, regardless of needing it or not.

James shut off his thoughts from the others now and turned about to watch the door again, laying down and folding his paws under his chin. He felt it odd that typically mysterious forces yielded to his understanding as of late and wondered why he was so capable of... learning.

Perhaps he was meant to be a magician of some sort. James snorted lightly at the thought, his feelings pressuring the emotion of contentment and mild amusement about him.

Joe was a little surprised that the two of them weren't as eager to learn of this new magical connection as he was. But then again, he was the mage, he'd devoted his life to studying magic, they hadn't. If they wanted to drop the subject, he didn't mind. They were friends and had been through a lot recently just in getting zip back. There would be more time to explore magic later.

Joe cut slices of cake and pie for everyone, selecting chocolate for himself. When he'd finished off his slice he rose. "It was good seeing both of you, but I'm afraid I do have more business to attend to since I've returned." He smiled at both of them and turned to leave, to retire to his room for the night and figure out what he was going to do next.

Enjoying the birthdays was easy with her friends, other thoughts held away for now. Of course, she had cinnamon apple pie as her cake. It was delicious to the point that she had to eat it with her fingers

Seeing James resting alone in thought, she held out a slice of the warm apple near the edge of his vision for him. Sure it may have been pushy but they had been apart for so long, it seamed necessary to be closer, at least for now.

Once Joe left, sheâ€™d spend more time in quiet with James, starting to think more over what had happened and what should be done than was healthy, absently over-cleaning her hands. Before long sheâ€™d move to sit with James, and even sooner, sheâ€™d fall asleep against him.

Early morning sheâ€™d wake him gently after much thought.

â€œI need to do some things, James. I don't think you should come.â€ she was sad to say this; she hadnâ€™t been alone since she met him. They had just gotten together again, but it was needed. At least she could give him a deadline instead of leaving him eternally, â€œIâ€™ll be at the Estate in one moon, no more.â€

If it was anyone else, she wouldn't tell them where she was going, but she knew that more information might be some comfort to James. That, and if something went wrong, he'd come look for her. "I'll be going to Shangri-La a safe island, and then the Academy."

She knew Shangri-La was a safe from the demons she broke free from, because the last time she visited the island she couldn't feel its forest until a certain point. As if all the life on the island was trapped in a bubble. Just like the forest, anything outside wouldn't be able to feel her as well. At least, the thought comforted her.

Naturally, the pie slice James had gotten was a part of the cinnamon apple pie. He'd never had pie before; just like a lot of things. Being a wolf and all, he bit at the pie a few times; it was quickly gone and it was delicious.

James licked his chops for a while as the pie was a little sticky. He stopped when Joe announced his retirement for the night, and James got up to nudge him good night before he rose. After Joe left, the wolf padded over to zipcat and licked her hand to say good night.

After laying a comfortable distance from the fire he was surprised by zip joining him there. He didn't mind at all, and soon found himself to be a pillow for the Amentan's night. For the first time in months he could sleep knowing his sister was safe.

James woke up to a pat on the head. He opened his eyes and looked up at zip, who began to talk to him.

Immediately she spoke of leaving without him. Lethargy and depression soured the room then, a small feeling of inadequacy that wouldn't leave soon. However, James was loathe to go against her wishes. "I wish you would take me," he spoke through his mind accidentally. He laid his head back down, and she began to speak to him again.

Shangri-La.

Really? They had been there before, and yes it had been fairly safe, but it wasn't the safest place for her. There was still the experience with Takrari he had there - the one who had taken her away at the Frost Knights. The wolf still had no right to tell zipcat no, nor to follow the Amentan without her permission. James' ears flattened against his head as he looked up to her, then licked her hand.

"Fine," he whispered through her mind. "One moon. I'll be upset if you're late."